1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a connector and more particularly to the provision of a connector which can absorb a positional misalignment with a mating connector so as to improve the efficiency in a connector coupling operation and can provide superior waterproofness.
2. Related Art
An electric connector unit is, for example, disclosed in JP-A-3-43974 in which a plurality of female connectors are set in a cover such that the cover is then bolted so that the plurality of female connectors are collectively fitted on mating connectors in one action.
As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, such an electric connector unit has a first connector cover 105 in which three first connectors 101, 102, 103 are accommodated and arranged respectively in connector accommodating chambers 104 partitioned with bulkheads and a second connector cover 110 in which second connectors 106, 107, 108 adapted to fit respectively on the first connectors 101, 102, 103 are also accommodated and arranged respectively in connector accommodating chambers 109 partitioned with bulkheads, whereby the first connectors 101, 102, 103 and second connectors 106, 107, 108 are fitted to each other and the first connector cover 105 and second connector cover 110 are fastened to each other with a fastening bolt 111.
As shown in FIG. 12, the first connectors 101, 102, 103 each comprise a connector housing 112, a pair of plate-like resilient packings adapted to hold the connector housing 112 from the front and back thereof and a box-like locking member 114. These first connectors 101, 102, 103 are designed to be fitted in the respective connector accommodating chambers 104 formed in the first connector cover 105 so as to be accommodated and arranged therein.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, too, the second connectors 106, 107, 108 each comprise a connector housing 115 which is made unitary and a frame-like resilient packing 116. These second connectors are designed to be fitted in the respective connector chambers 109 formed in the second connector cover 110 so as to be accommodated and arranged therein.
With the electric connector unit constructed as described above, the first connectors 101, 102, 103 and the second connectors 106, 107, 108, which are constructed so as to establish a plurality of paired relationships can be fitted to each other through a single operation of tightening the fastening bolt 111, whereby the connecting operation of the first connectors 101, 102, 103 and the second connectors 106, 107, 108 can be facilitated.
In the aforesaid electric connector, however, the first connectors 101, 102, 103 are accommodated and arranged in the respective connector chambers 104, whereas the second connectors 106, 107, 108 are formed integrally with the connector housing 115. With this construction, any positional misalignment between the first connectors 101, 102, 103 and the second connectors 106, 107, 108 prevents the designed fit and makes more difficult the connector coupling operation than otherwise constructed.
In order to facilitate the connector coupling operation, the first connectors 101, 102, 103 and the second connectors 106, 107, 108 are required to be highly accurately arranged, and the dimensions of those connectors are also required to be highly accurate. To make these happen, the cost for respective constituent parts needed to realize the aforesaid accurate construction becomes high and this eventually increases the total production cost of the connector unit.
The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a connector that can improve the efficiency in a connector coupling operation by absorbing a positional misalignment with a mating connector and which is inexpensive and superior in waterproofness.
With a view to solving the above problems, according to a first feature of the invention, there is provided a connector comprising a connector housing having a terminal accommodating main body portion in which a plurality of terminals are partitioned and arranged for accommodation, an outer circumferential wall portion provided a predetermined distance away from the terminal accommodating main body portion so as to surround the terminal accommodating main body portion and a bottom portion for coupling the outer circumferential wall portion to the terminal accommodating main body portion, a waterproof positional misalignment absorbing member provided in a space between the terminal accommodating main body and the outer circumferential wall portion, and a cover member having an insertion leg portion adapted to be inserted into the space via the waterproof positional misalignment absorbing member and an accommodating portion having an opening in a front thereof so as to allow the terminal accommodating main body portion to be accommodated therein, wherein a positional misalignment absorbing gap is provided between the insertion leg portion and the outer circumferential wall portion or the terminal accommodating main body portion so that the connector housing and the cover member can freely move relative to each other when the terminal accommodating main body portion is fitted in a mating connector.
Thus, in this construction, the space is provided in the connector housing for insertion thereinto of the insertion leg portion of the cover member, the waterproof positional misalignment absorbing member is disposed in the space, and the positional misalignment absorbing gap is provided between the insertion leg portion and the outer circumferential wall portion or the terminal accommodating main body portion so that the connector housing and the cover member can freely move relative to each other when the terminal accommodating main body portion of the connector housing is fitted in the mating connector. With this construction, even if there is occurring a positional misalignment between the connector housing and a connector housing of the mating connector, the connector housing and the cover member can move relative to each other so as to absorb the positional misalignment so occurring, whereby a smooth fit into the mating connector can be effected.
According to a second feature of the invention, wherein the waterproof positional misalignment absorbing member comprises a bottom sealing portion disposed at the bottom portion, a side sealing portion disposed between the terminal accommodating main body portion or the outer circumferential wall portion and the insertion leg portion so as to be brought into tight contact with a leading end portion of the mating connector and a projection provided on the side sealing portion in such a manner as to project therefrom so as to bias said insertion leg portion.
Since the waterproof positional misalignment absorbing member has the bottom sealing portion disposed at the bottom portion, in addition to the function of absorbing a positional misalignment between the connectors, the member functions to shut out water trying to penetrate into this space. In addition, since the waterproof positional misalignment absorbing member has the side sealing portion which is brought into tight contact with the leading end portion of the mating connector, the member can also shut out water trying to penetrate from between the terminal accommodating main body portion adapted to fit in the mating connector and the mating connector.
According to a third feature of the invention, wherein the waterproof positional misalignment absorbing member has a mounting projection provided on the bottom sealing portion and wherein the waterproof positional misalignment absorbing member is disposed in the space with the mounting projection being inserted into a through hole formed in the bottom portion.
Since the waterproof positional misalignment absorbing member allows the mounting projection provided at the bottom sealing portion to be inserted into the through hole formed in the bottom portion, the waterproof positional misalignment absorbing member can be surely positioned on the bottom portion, whereby an inadvertent dislocation thereof from the space can be prevented.
According to a fourth feature of the invention, wherein the accommodating portion has an outer circumferential wall surface portion, an inner circumferential wall surface portion provided inwardly of the outer circumferential wall surface portion and an insertion space formed between the outer circumferential wall surface portion and the inner circumferential wall surface portion and wherein a sealing member is disposed in the insertion space and an equipment hood portion having an opening in a front thereof so as to accommodate therein a mating connector secured to an equipment main body is also fitted in the insertion space, whereby the cover member and the equipment hood portion are sealed with the sealing member.
In this construction, the insertion space is formed in the accommodating portion of the cover member, and the sealing member is disposed in the insertion space and the equipment hood portion having an opening in the front thereof so as to accommodate therein the mating connector secured to the equipment main body is also fitted in the insertion space, whereby the cover member and the equipment hood portion are sealed with the sealing member. With this construction, the air-tight condition existing between the cover member and the equipment hood portion can be improved, whereby water trying to penetrate from the cover member into the interior thereof is shut out.
According to a fifth feature of the invention, wherein the accommodating portion has an outer circumferential wall surface portion, an inner circumferential wall surface portion provided inwardly of the outer circumferential wall surface portion and an insertion space formed between the outer circumferential wall surface portion and the inner circumferential wall surface portion and wherein an equipment hood portion having an opening in a front thereof so as to accommodate therein a mating connector secured to an equipment main body is fitted in the insertion space, whereby the cover member and the equipment hood portion are sealed with a sealing member provided in the vicinity of a leading end portion of the equipment hood portion.
Thus, the air-tight condition existing between the cover member and the equipment hood portion can be improved by sealing the cover member and the equipment hood portion with the sealing member provided in the vicinity of the leading end of the equipment hood portion, whereby water trying to penetrate from the cover member into the interior thereof is shut out.
According to a sixth feature of the invention, wherein a plurality of the connector housings are provided in the cover member.
Thus, even if the plurality of the connector housings are provided in the cover member, since the respective connector housings are movable relative to the cover member, as with the first feature of the invention, the connector housings and the cover member move relative to each other so as to absorb the positional misalignment to thereby provide a smooth fit with the mating connector.